ghost arm

Yesterday I had a girl come into work with most of the lower half of her left arm missing. I asked her if she wanted to put a puzzle together (before I saw this) and she said she did. It was amazing because since she still had her elbow joint her arm moved as if there was a ghost lower arm and hand. I assume she once had a whole arm because of the way it moved and how the end stub looked (folded and tucked skin as if it has been surgically put like that rather than the skin neatly grown over in once piece).

She was using her little elbow stub just like a hand. she picked up pieces with her right hand and turned them with the little arm. It was actually incredible to watch. How it kind of rotated and moved around like a thick arm antennae. I wondered, 'why is it moving so weirdly' and then realised it must just be normal except looked heaps different because of the lack of length. I kind of wanted to touch it (don't worry, I didn't). It was like a creature on its own or a robot with an purposelessly manufactured limb. This girl was amazing. I think she was 9 or something (I asked her but I ask most of the kids so it's a bit vague).

I also noticed the elbow stub had the faint remains of blue pen ink on it and I guess she must write memos on it like most people do with their hands. I don't know why but I really liked/was intrigued by this. I really, really liked watching how she had learned to accommodate not having her whole left arm in order to still be able to do things. Like, I felt like a bit of creep watching so intensely but didn't feel rude or wrong. And I did actually look at her face when I talked to her.

She was wearing a pink scivvy with sequins and had a bit of a belly peeping out underneath at the bottom. I wanted to be like, 'your arm is awesome and you are awesome and I hope your life becomes many wonderful things'. But I just said, "awesome!" and smiled when she finished the puzzle.